Globalization

5 “Bleisure” tourism- a new trend 

among business travellers

Currently some travel experts mark the appearance 

TABLE 1 The differences between leisure and business tourism

Leisure tourism

Business tourism

Participants

Tourists

Professionals, experts, business people. Sometimes 

may be accompanied by partners

Size of groups

Individuals or small groups

Up to million participants

The main goal of 

participants

Entertainment, leisure, exploring new 

destinations and learning new cultures

Business networking and information sharing

Payer

The tourist

The employer or association

Decision maker

The tourist, tour wholesalers, travel agents

The organizer of the meeting/incentive/

conference/event

Period of time when the trip 

can take place

During the holidays or special occasions

Any day of the year

Main economic impact

Direct spending

Trade and investment

Source: developed by author

Figure 1 The share of leisure tourism spending to business tourism spending in different countries

Source: The World Travel&Tourism Council Economic Report in 2019

 

84%

81%

75%

81%

83%

79%

68%

86%

85%

77%

67%

81%

88%

87%

82%

16%

19%

25%

19%

17%

21%

32%

14%

15%

23%

33%

19%

12%

13%

18%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80% 100%

Armenia

China

Estonia

France

Germany

Italy

Japan

Kazakhstan

Latvia

Lithuania

Poland

Russian Federation

Spain

Turkey

Uzbekistan

Leisure spending

Business spending

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GLOBALIZATION 

Economics

&

Education 2019 

04

(01)

43

of new concept of tourism-“bleisure” that is 

supposed to be a combination of business and 

leisure tourism. 

There is a growing number of “bleisure” tours 

being organized globally starting from 2010. In 

2014, Bridgestreet Global Hospitality research 

dedicated to this phenomenon was published. 

According to the figures, for many this kind of 

travel have become a way of life, while 78% of 

respondents say that such trips make them much 

more loyal to their work, but less than 14% of 

respondents considered “bleisure” to be more or 

less officially regulated in the company [7].

According to the research conducted by Carlson 

Wagonlit Travel, 1 in 5 business travellers take 

“bleisure” trips each year, accounting for 7% of all 

business trips. In nearly half of “bleisure” trips, the 

personal days occur at the end of the trip, in 34% at 

the beginning, while for the remaining 20% leisure 

occurs at both ends of the trip [8].

This information is also approved by the 

research of Booking.com. Now, going on a business 

trip, people preparing not only presentations and 

business suits, but also plans to get acquainted 

with the place where they go, and the amount of 

such business travellers, according to the study, is 

already at the level of 49%. Also about 75% of the 

survey participants plan to make as many trips as 

possible in the near future. If earlier “bleisure” was 

not paid much attention, believing, sometimes 

rightly, that it was a waste of time and could even 

damage a career, but now the angle has changed. 

“Bleisure” provides an excellent opportunity to 

expand horizons, look at some things differently 

and eventually achieve more in the work. Moreover, 

for 30% of “bleisure” respondents, it is so attractive 

that they are willing to accept less paid jobs in 

order to be able to travel [7].